The eight regions of Japan地方
A region (地方, chihō) is a group of prefectures. It has no assembly, no governor, and no budget. Weather forecasts, school textbooks, and company sales areas use the eight regions below, and a few prefectures are put in a different region by different sources. The 47 prefectures are governments. The regions are not.
| Region | Prefectures | Population | km² | Municipalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaidō北海道 | 1 | 5,224,614 | 83,424 | 179 |
| Tōhoku東北 | 6 | 8,611,195 | 66,948 | 227 |
| Kantō関東 | 7 | 43,653,441 | 32,433 | 316 |
| Chūbu中部 | 9 | 21,147,819 | 66,807 | 316 |
| Kansai / Kinki関西・近畿 | 7 | 22,311,695 | 33,125 | 227 |
| Chūgoku中国 | 5 | 7,254,726 | 31,922 | 107 |
| Shikoku四国 | 4 | 3,696,171 | 18,804 | 95 |
| Kyūshū-Okinawa九州・沖縄 | 8 | 14,246,438 | 44,513 | 274 |
Hokkaidō北海道
One prefecture forms the whole region. Hokkaidō is Japan's northernmost and largest prefecture, and the only one whose name ends in 道 (dō).
Tōhoku東北
The six prefectures of northern Honshū. Sendai is the region's largest city and its transport hub.
Kantō関東
The plain around Tokyo and the six prefectures around it. About a third of Japan's population is here.
Chūbu中部
Central Honshū, from the Sea of Japan coast across the Japanese Alps to the Pacific. It is often split further into Hokuriku, Kōshin'etsu, and Tōkai.
Kansai / Kinki関西・近畿
The Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe area and its neighbours. 近畿 (Kinki) is the formal name and 関西 (Kansai) the everyday one. Mie is counted here in the Kinki definition but is often put in Tōkai instead.
Chūgoku中国
Western Honshū, divided by mountains into the San'yō coast on the Inland Sea and the San'in coast on the Sea of Japan.
Shikoku四国
The smallest of the four main islands. It has four prefectures, and no other region is on it.
Kyūshū-Okinawa九州・沖縄
The southern island of Kyūshū plus Okinawa. Okinawa is sometimes counted as its own region, which is why the two names are often written together.
Population: 2020 Population Census, the prefectures added up. Area: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, 2020. Municipalities: cities, towns, villages, and Tokyo's special wards, counted from the boundary data on the map.